Apparatus for facilitating the starting of vehicles and velocipedes.



G. BIRKNER. APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF VEHICLES AN APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1913.

D VELOGIPEDES.

THE NORRIS PETERS C04. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

Patented. Oct. 6, 1914.

imrrnn sra'rns Parana orrron.

GUSTAV BIRKNER, OF MALENTE-GREMSMlj'HLEN, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 6, 1914;.

I Application filed November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802,758.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAV BIRKNER, diplomated engineer, residing at Villa Steinbusch, Malente-Gremsmiihlen, in the Grand Dnkedom of Oldenburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Starting of Vehicles or Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

t is well known that the power required for starting a vehicle on the level is always large as compared with the power required for propelling the vehicle at normal or even at higher speed, after that speed has been attained. For this reason it is, of course, necessary to provide propelling means capable of developing at any time an amount of power considerably in excess of'that required for normal propulsion, and this involves increased expenditure in various directions, primarily in regard to first cost and cost of maintenance. The increased power applied for starting is under ordinary conditions almost wholly lost, inasmuch as when the vehicle is being stopped it generally travels only a short distance by its own momentum and is then checked by the brake, the action of which converts the remaining kinetic energy into heat. Similar loss is incurred by applying the brake for the purpose of reducing speed, without stoppage.

The object of my invention is to obviate these disadvantages. To this end I use a motor spring and means for connecting said motor spring, to the driving mechanism, whereby the spring can alternatively be wound by the action of said mechanism and can also assist in the propulsion.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, as applied to a velocipede.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the velocipede, with the apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 2 shows the apparatus to a larger scale, with the casing in section, and Figs. 3 and 1 are sections on the lines AB and CD of Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 designates the handle bar. Behind this bar are two rods 2, 3 connected to a slide-piece within the bar, and to this slide-piece is pivoted a link 4 connected to a lever P, which has its fulcrum on a brac ret and is pivoted to a rod 1 connected to a. vertical shaft 6 arranged in a casing 5, so that by moving the rods 2 and 3 the shaft can be raised and lowered. The engagement of the link 4 with the handle bar 1 respectively with the slide-piece and of the rod 1 with the shaft 6 is of such a nature as to allow the handle bar and the connecting mechanism to be rotated without interfering with the connection. The shaft carries bevel wheels 7 and 8, which can be alternatively meshed with a bevel wheel 9 mounted in the casing. The rear wheel 10 of the velocipede is connected by a gear chain 11 with a sprocket 12 on the shaft carrying the wheel 9. A bevel wheel 13 at one side of the shaft 6 is arranged to mesh with a bevel wheel l t on the shaft 6, and is fixed to a spindle 15, to which is fixed one end of a coiled spring 2 1, whereof the other end is attached to the casing 5. The spindle 15 is screw-threaded at 16, to engage with a screwthreaded rider 18, the latter being engaged, with a fixed guide 17 so that it can slide thereon but cannot rotate. A bell crank lever 19 is pivoted in the casing, and has one end lying between two collars onthe shaft 6, and its other end lying between two abutments 20 on the rider 18. To this bell crank is pivoted a pawl 22, which slides in a guide 21 and can be engaged with a ratchet wheel 23 fixed to the spindle 15. The rods 2 and 3 are connected to levers 25, 26 mounted on the handle bar, for the purpose of shifting the rods.

F igf2 shows the shaft 6 lowered by actuation of the lever 25, the wheel 7 being engaged with the wheel 12. With this connection made, the wheel 10, acting through belt 11, sprocket 12, wheels 9, 7, shaft 6 and wheels 14: and 18, rotates the spindle 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow a, and winds up the spring 2e. At the same time the rider 18 is shifted in the direction indicated by the arrow 6, and when the spring is fully wound up one of the abutments 20 strikes the bell crank 19 and slightly lifts the shaft 6, thus disengaging the wheel 7 from the wheel 9. At the same time the pawl 22 engages the wheel 23 and locks the spindle 15. I The lowering of the shaft 6, by actuation of the lever 25 takes place when the speed of the velocipede is to be reduced, or the machine is to be stopped.

lVhen the velocipede is to be started, with the spring 24 wound up, the lever 26 is actuated, to further lift the shaft 6, by moving the link 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow 0. By this means the wheel 8 is engaged with the wheel 9 and thepawl 22 is withdrawn from the wheel 23, so that the spring released and acts through the wheels 8 and 9 on the sprocket 12, assisting in starting the velocipede. The released spring rotates the spindle 15 in the inverted direction as indicated by the arrow at, so that the rider 18 returns into its first position. The connection for winding up the spring can, of course, also be made when traveling down hill, the spring being then used to assist in traveling up hill.

lin some cases, as for example in connection with railway trains, it may be desirable to connect the spring to the brake. Instead of a single spring I may use a series of springs arranged to come into and out of operation successively, either automatically or controlled by the driver. If the propelling means are inadequate for starting the vehicle without the aid of the spring and it is impracticable to apply assistance otherwise for the first start, the spring must be fitted to the vehicle in a wound state.

Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an apparatus for facilitating the starting of vehicles or velocipedes the combination of a casing, 21- vertical shaft in this casing united by a link connection. with nian- 3O ually operable, horizontal rods whereby the said shaft can be raised and lowered, a second shaft in the said casing having a coiled spring connected thereto and provided with a screw-threaded portion, a gear on the said 35 second shaft meshing with a gear on the said vertical shaft, two bevel wheels on the latter shaft both the said wheels meshing alternatively with a bevel wheel in the said casing connected with a driving wheel of the ve- 4O hicle or velocipede, a sliding rider on the said screw threaded portion provided with abutinents acting on a bell crank lever connected to the said vertical shaft and a pawl on the said lever capable to be engaged with 45 a ratchet wheel on the said second shaft, when the said lever is actuated by the said abutinents and to be disengaged from the said ratchet wheel, when the said vertical shaft is lowered or raised by the said hori- 5 1 Zontal rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV BIRKNER.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY HAsrnR, vVoLnnMAa HAUPT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ia'tents. Washington, It, 0. 

